What is it about you?
by The Lady Wolfshead
Summary: You're more than my godson. You're more to me than my godfather. I love you more than life. You're the only person I could ever love. *Slash*
1. I care so much for him

Disclaimer: No, they're not mine *sighs longingly* Warning: This is SLASH. Homophobes, shoo. There's nothing for you here. You were warned so don't come moaning to me if it's not to your taste. That is all.  
  
*  
  
It was a quiet summer in Privet Drive. The heat was keeping everybody indoors, as it was much cooler inside than out. The few people that were outdoors were children, squealing as they had a water fight, or hot, sweaty workers cursing the failing air-conditioning in their cars as they arrived home from work.  
  
A thin boy with a mess of black hair and vivid green eyes was wrestling with a lawn mower, putting it back into the shed after spending the afternoon mowing his aunt and uncle's lawn. Famous Harry Potter, treated no better than a house-elf, he thought bitterly, going inside and helping himself to a cool glass of water.  
  
"What do you think you're doing?" shrieked his Aunt Petunia, a thin, horsy woman with a long neck. "You're shedding grass cuttings over my floor! Go up to your room, and don't come back down until you look presentable!"  
  
Harry tramped upstairs to his room without complaint. *It'll take me years to become presentable by her standards,* he thought without bitterness.  
  
Once inside his room, he locked the door and flung himself onto his bed. He was idly flicking through Quidditch Through The Ages when he heard a tapping at his window. He turned and saw that his owl, Hedwig, had returned. He dashed to the window and let her in, eagerly ripping open the letter she had been carrying for him.  
  
It was from his godfather, Sirius Black, a man who everyone bar a select few thought was a mass-murderer. He was the only person ever to have successfully escaped from Azkaban and current intelligence was that he was hiding somewhere in Africa, a fact that Harry knew to be completely false.  
  
Harry, he wrote, sorry for not writing for ages, but I've been busy with Dumbledore and Remus. I've found a good hiding place, completely safe, and once we've finished everything here I'm going to ask Dumbledore to let you come and stay for a bit. I can't tell you where in case this letter is intercepted (Mad-Eye's here and frightening everyone with thoughts of ambush, as usual) but I hope to see you soon. I'll let you know what Dumbledore says.  
  
Love, Sirius  
  
Harry read the letter again, grinning. He hoped that Dumbledore would let him go, and personally he didn't care if Sirius was living in a swamp; anywhere would be better than staying at Privet Drive for the rest of the summer. He scribbled a few lines in reply, then flopped back down on the bed.  
  
He didn't bother to ask what Sirius was up to with Dumbledore; he had asked before and been told to keep his nose out. Although he was slightly annoyed at being kept in the dark - he was sixteen now, and had faced Lord Voldemort countless times - he knew that he would be filled in when the time came.  
  
It would be great to see Sirius again. He was the closest thing to family Harry had - he didn't count the Dursleys as family, not by a long shot. He didn't even like them, much less love them, but Sirius . . . he cared deeply for Sirius.  
  
Despite the fact that Harry had only known Sirius for three years, due to the fact that Sirius had been incarcerated in Azkaban for twelve years for a crime he did not commit, Harry trusted him like he trusted no other, not even Ron and Hermione, not even Dumbledore. In the last year since Voldemort's return, Harry, acting on Moody's advice, had made a decision not to get too close to anybody in case they could be used as a means of getting to Harry - which already made Ron and Hermione prime targets anyway - he couldn't help feeling the way he felt about Sirius.  
  
Sirius was more than a godfather to him. He was the only person to whom Harry felt he could tell anything, even things that he had kept from his best friends. And Sirius cared for him, cared in a way that his relatives never had. Sirius was the only person he felt he could be truly close to. Sirius was the only person that he loved.  
  
He knew that the feelings he had towards Sirius weren't exactly how you would normally expect to feel about your godfather, but then, he mused, I've hardly had what you might call a normal life, have I?  
  
Sirius was a wonderful man; in Harry's eyes, he could do no wrong. He could hardly wait for Sirius to be cleared so he could go and live with him - what with the Ministry of Magic now being forced to acknowledge the overwhelming evidence that Voldemort was back, then it was only a matter of time before Sirius' name was cleared. He had a vision of himself and his godfather battling side-by-side against Voldemort, and smiled grimly. That moment was not far off; Voldemort was gathering his army and the focal point of his plans was Hogwarts. While Harry didn't think that Voldemort would be stupid enough to attempt to attack Hogwarts directly, not with Dumbledore there, nevertheless he had a feeling that it would all boil down to a final battle in the grounds.  
  
But still, he wasn't overly concerned. He had lived with the threat of Voldemort so long, he often wondered what it would be like when, if, he was finally defeated. What would he do then?  
  
Whatever I do, he thought, it will be with Sirius. Sirius will always be there for me. 


	2. I shouldn't think like this

Thanks to my sole reviewer, Rylyn. Thanks also to my good friend Martyn for helping me out with this chapter :) 

Standard disclaimers apply. 

*

Sirius paced up and down the room excitedly. Finally, after months of hard work, placing Muggle-repelling charms on the place, generally making it fit for human habitation and having Moody and Dumbledore cast all sorts of complicated spells to make sure it was absolutely safe, he was finally allowed to have Harry come and stay for the two weeks before he started his sixth year.   
  
He was lookinng forward to it. He had set up home in an abandoned village along the South Coast - he had thought it was a bit creepy at first, until Dumbledore said that no-one could go there as the British Army still had control of the village, even though they no longer used it. Still, it was weird, he mused, wandering around the empty village, still exactly the same as it was before what the Muggles called World War Two. It was like stepping back in time. Still, there were lots of interesting spots in the village. He couldn't wait to take Harry round.

Even though Harry wasn't meant to be there for another hour - Moody was fetching him, so it was likely that it would be at least three hours before he actually got here - Sirius couldn't keep still. He couldn't wait to see his godson.

"Sit down, Padfoot," laughed Lupin, who was sat in an armchair, one leg hanging over the side, and sipping from a mug of hot tea, watching Sirius as he paced up and down, idly flicking a piece of dust from the top of a cabinet. "Anyone would think you were entertaining a prospective partner than your godson!" Sirius grinned and sat down, taking the mug that Lupin offered him and taking a sip.   
  
"I just want him to like it."   
  
"He'll love it. Compared to his home, I expect this is Paradise. You've done it up really nice." Sirius blushed.   
  
"Hope so," he murmured. "I just . . . I haven't been there for him for so long, I want him to feel as though he'll have a home with me if he needs it."   
  
"Honestly, Sirius, if he could he'd jump at the chance of living with you."

"Why can't he live with me now!" whined Sirius. 

"Well, there's the small matter of you still being a convicted murderer. It's probably not a good idea. Now calm down, he'll be here any minute!" 

Sirius blushed again and looked away. Remus was great, but he just had no idea how deeply he felt for Harry. Harry was everything to him. If anything ever happened to Harry... Sirius knew he wouldn't be able to cope.   
  
Maybe it was the fact that Harry looked so much like James... Sirius and James had always had a special bond, and Sirius had often wished that they could have been more than just friends, but it wasn't to be the moment James had noticed Lily Evans. He was an awful lot like James, too - sneaking into the Forbidden Forest every five minutes, bending the rules left right and centre, and as for Quidditch... he flew just as well, if not better, than James had.

They sat together in a companionable silence, Sirius occasionally glancing at the clock and tapping his foot on the floor. Finally, there was a knock on the door and Sirius leapt up, threw open the door and grabbed his godson in a bone-crunching hug.   
  
"HARRY! Good to see ya!" he yelled joyfully.   
  
"What have I told you before about exercising caution when answering the door?" growled Moody behind Harry, taking off a travelling cloak. "You have to wait for the person behind the door to speak the password . . ."   
  
"Yeah, yeah, whatever!" Sirius gestured vaguely with his hands in an attempt to get Moody to shut up. He took a step back and gazed fondly at his godson, his breath catching in his throat as he looked at Harry.

Harry looked more like James than ever. He had grown quite a bit taller since the last time Sirius had seen him, and his Quidditch training was adding some definition to his muscles. He was just as handsome as James had been - more so, because he had Lily's striking green eyes. _He's a heartbreaker, all right, thought Sirius, shaking his head slightly as he realised he was checking out his best friend's son. _I've got to stop this_, he thought, grimly. _Harry's not James, and he's my _godson, __I should not be thinking about him like this!_

"Welcome to my home," he grinned, stepping back to let Harry in. 

"Wow, cool!" exclaimed Harry, as he walked through into the living room. Sirius stood back, grinning proudly as Harry embraced Lupin and gazed around the room he'd made home, trying to ignore certain thoughts that were clamouring for attention in his head.


	3. A little conversation

Thank you for all my reviews! Lady E (how could you **ever promise that??), fuzzyfishbowl, elephant-chimes, Mornel, Wesley and Sela. ******

Standard disclaimers apply. Sirius' song based on The Vandals' '_If The Gov't Could Read My Mind'. _

_***_

Sirius gave Harry a tour of the house before they sat down for a meal with Remus. Sirius grinned happily at Harry who was shovelling shepherds pie into his mouth with every sign of enjoyment. 

"So, what do you think?" Sirius demanded, gesturing wildly with his knife and fork still in his hands and nearly doing Remus a serious injury. Harry looked up at him and grinned. 

"It's brilliant, Sirius!"  Sirius grinned back at him. "This is a bit spooky though. You know what I mean? A bit weird." 

"Nah, it's great! I'll take you on a tour of the village tomorrow, there's some really interesting sights. Some interesting ghosts, too. The curate of the church is still around, I think he still thinks he's alive, he came at me the other day while I was browsing the village records and tried to stab me with a ghostly poker." Sirius paused and took a mouthful of pie while Harry laughed. 

"So what have you been doing all summer then?" asked Harry, after he'd got his breath back. 

"Not much, just getting this place ready. The village is going to be the headquarters of the Order. That'll amuse old Carne." Sirius grinned across the table at Remus. "You remember Tonks, Harry? The witch with the pink hair? Well, Remus has been seeing a lot of her lately. We're just waiting for them to announce a wedding date." 

"We've just been having Occlumency lessons together, that's all," muttered Remus, turning slightly pink. 

"Rubbish! We all know you fancy her, Moony." 

"I do not!" 

"Well, the lessons take an hour each, right? But you're often away for a lot longer than that. What do you do then?" 

"We discuss Dumbledore's plans," mumbled Remus, staring fixedly at his meal. Sirius laughed and started singing. 

"_I could stockpile spells and join a militia, but I'd rather stay at home and kiss ya, it never matters when I'm with you. He can telepathically monitor my mind, I'm not scared of what he'll find, let him do what he's gonna do, cos if Voldemort can read my mind he knows I'm thinking of you!" Sirius winked at Harry as Remus turned a deeper shade of red. "All right, you don't fancy her, I believe you. So who from the Order would you most like to shag?" _

"Sirius!" Harry and Sirius burst out laughing at the look of indignation on Remus' face. "What are we, fifteen?" 

"Just a little light-hearted dinner conversation, Moony. So come on, who?" 

"Well, Tonks actually, but that doesn't mean anything!" he added quickly, as Harry and Sirius laughed harder. "I wouldn't fancy Arabella Figg, McGonagall or Molly Weasley, Tonks is simply the most attractive of the lot . . ."

"And you want to get into her knickers!" announced Sirius triumphantly, turning to Harry with a grin. "So, Harry, whose knickers do you want to get into?" 

"Yours, of course." Harry clamped his mouth shut, his eyes widening in horror. Had he really just admitted to wanting to sleep with his godfather? He recovered quickly and laughed, to make it look as though he was joking. "Well, if we're still talking about the Order, McGonagall's my teacher, Mrs Weasley is my best friend's mum, that would be too weird, Dumbledore's ancient, Snape's a greasy slimeball and Remus wants Tonks, so it would have to be you." 

"The boy's got a point!" laughed Remus. Sirius stared at Harry for a moment, before laughing too, resolving to talk to Harry about it later on. Just for a moment, he'd felt . . . what? Maybe a little spark of hope that Harry could possibly feel that way about him? It was impossible, wasn't it? But there had been that moment . . . he had to be sure . . . 

"Don't blame ya, mate, faced with the other choices! As for me, well, that McGonagall . . ." They all laughed, and the moment passed. Throughout the rest of the meal, Sirius kept stealing glances at Harry, trying to get any sign from him that he'd meant what he said earlier, but Harry was keeping his gaze firmly on his plate when he wasn't talking. Sirius sighed, and slumped back in his chair. He knew that it would be somewhat inappropriate to act on his feelings for Harry, but all the same . . . he couldn't help thinking, _what if Harry did feel the same?_

Later that evening, after Remus had left to go and meet Tonks for another Occlumency lesson (Sirius remarked that the lessons were getting ever more frequent, Remus told him to shut up and mind his own business), Sirius and Harry pulled down the blackout blinds, lit the lamps, and settled down on the sofa together. 

Whatever Sirius said, Harry felt it was slightly bizarre to be living in a village that had been abandoned in the early 1940s, but despite that it was still a hundred times better than living with the Dursleys. He'd been warned by Moody not to stray away from the village, but he didn't want to anyway – he was with Sirius, he was nowhere near his relatives, and it was so peaceful here. He couldn't wait to explore. 

Sirius turned to Harry, folded his arms, crossed his legs and attempted to look serious for once. Harry laughed when he caught sight of his godfather. 

"You look ridiculous! What's that look for?" 

"Well, as your godfather I feel honour bound to be able to nose into your private life. You're sixteen now, susceptible to certain urges and whatnot, and I think it's time we had a little chat." 

"What about?" 

"Girls. Or boys. Which do you prefer?" 

"Oh." Harry shrugged. He found it highly amusing that Sirius wanted to talk about his sex life, or lack thereof, and was vaguely worried in case he would be on the receiving end of some 'fatherly advice'. "Dunno. Never really thought about it." 

"Come off it! You're sixteen! If you haven't done it already then you must have thought about it! What happened to that Ravenclaw girl you liked?" 

"Cho?" Harry shrugged. "Dunno. Think she went off me a bit. Doesn't matter, anyway." 

"So who do you fancy then? Hermione? Ron? Ron's sister?" Harry sniggered. He could just imagine the look on Ron's face if he ever even so much as thought about Ginny in that way. 

"I think Ron and Hermione fancy each other, to tell you the truth. I just wish they'd stop bickering and snog for once. And Ginny's dating Dean Thomas." 

"But what about you?" persisted Sirius. Harry shrugged again. 

"There's no-one really. I kind of don't want anyone at the moment anyway." 

"Why not?" Harry hesitated, unsure of what to say. Should he tell Sirius about his fears about Voldemort? Or just mention that he found his godfather sexy as hell, and couldn't imagine having those kind of feelings for anyone else? He decided it would be safer to go for the Voldemort option. 

"Well, I do have the most evil wizard of all time after me. What if I do get close to someone, and he uses them to get to me? Or if he killed them? I couldn't handle it. I don't want it." 

"You shouldn't worry about that, Harry," said Sirius softly, putting his arms around Harry's shoulders. "Don't let Voldemort make you afraid of living. It's okay to be scared; hells, even I'm a bit scared, we all are. But we're all working on it, believe me, Dumbledore's got a plan. Thanks to Snape we have some idea of what Voldemort's plans are, so we're able to counter them before they're put into action. We're at a sort of stalemate situation right now, Voldemort won't act until he knows what Dumbledore's planning, or something, I don't know, I fell asleep when Snape started talking." Sirius broke of and gave Harry a grin. "But what are we supposed to do in the meantime? Sit around and wait for something to happen, or just go on with our lives?" 

"So you're saying I shouldn't be scared? Sirius, I'm terrified of this war!" 

"I'm not saying don't be scared, fear is helpful to a certain degree as it keeps you alive. But don't let it get so far in that you're too frightened to live, otherwise what's the point? You'd be better to go and hand yourself over to the Death Eaters right now." Sirius touched Harry's chin and pushed it up until he was staring into Harry's startling green eyes. "Your father was afraid. But he didn't let that stop him from enjoying the time he had with you and Lily." 

"My dad was scared?" 

"He was terrified of not being there for you when you grew up, but he refused to let it get him down. You know that song I was singing earlier? He used to sing that to you and Lily. He treasured every single moment he had with you; he loved you more than life." 

"And he died for me," whispered Harry. Sirius took a deep breath and looked away. Harry looked down at the floor while Sirius composed himself. "Sorry." 

"Don't apologise. He was my best friend in the world, and I miss him like hell. But hey," Sirius attempted a weak grin. "I have you now. I expect before long you'll be nicking Snitches and trying to impress the ladies with your Quidditch skills. Or the men, of course." Sirius fell silent and tightened his grip on Harry, lost in his memories of James. Harry relaxed, enjoying the feeling of being close to Sirius and thinking over what he'd just said. There was a lot of sense in it, of course, but what if someone close to him was hurt? There was no way he'd be able to handle it, he was already worried to death about the Weasleys, Hermione and Sirius. No. Best if he didn't let anyone else get too close . . .


	4. Inappropriate comments at breakfast

Hi, and thanks for the marvellous response I've had for this fic! Keep the praise coming, I could get used to it *grins* Thanks to Sela, Tara, The Brat Prince and Jehan's Muse for their comments on chapter 3. (and, Brat Prince, this author stubbornly refuses to accept that he died in Book 5, so I'll allude to some things from the book but not _that_!) 

At the risk of being hexed by a mad reader, I shall shut up now and get on with the story . . . 

Standard disclaimers apply. 

* 

Harry woke up the next morning and stretched, and immediately wished he hadn't. He couldn't remember falling asleep; he had just felt so warm and comfortable and safe in Sirius' arms, and must have drifted off. He must have slept in an awkward position, too. His neck _hurt_. 

Sirius staggered into the room, yawning widely and carrying a large steaming mug of coffee and a huge stack of toast. He smiled a lopsided smile when he saw Harry was awake. 

"I would have woken you earlier, but you looked so sweet. Sore neck?" Harry nodded, still rubbing his neck. Sirius set his mug down on the table and sat down behind Harry, and started to massage his shoulders and neck. For a few agonising moments it was excruciating, but then the pain passed and it was nice. 

"Thanks Sirius," smiled Harry, as Sirius stood up and grabbed a piece of toast from the pile, gesturing for Harry to do the same. 

"I used to do that for your dad," said Sirius, as Harry munched his toast. He grinned. "In fact, the most erotic moment I ever had was giving him a full body massage after Quidditch." 

"Sirius!" Harry choked, sending crumbs spraying over the table. "Please, I'm eating! The last thing I want is a mental image of you getting a boner over my dad!" 

"So, what are we going to do today then?" 

"Don't change the subject!" 

"I thought you didn't want me to talk about it?" 

"I don't! I . . . you . . . oh, shut up!" Harry shoved the rest of his toast in his mouth, glaring at Sirius as he did so. Sirius chuckled, and took a sip of his coffee. "What do you want to do today?" 

"If I shut up, how can I tell you what I want to do?" Sirius dodged the fork aimed at his head, laughing. "Well, if it's a cutlery fight you want, Mr Potter . . ." Sirius picked up his teaspoon and launched it at his godson. It missed by miles. Harry in turn threw the butter knife at Sirius, hitting him on the forehead. "Ouch! You'll pay for that, Potter!" 

The next thing Harry knew, he was on his back on the floor with Sirius tickling him mercilessly. Harry shrieked with laughter, trying to both squirm away and tickle Sirius back. 

"Ow, Sirius, stop!" Harry gasped, his ribs aching from laughing. 

"Never! Not until you apologise for attacking your godfather with a butter knife!" 

"Never! Aargh, stop, please!" 

"I don't know, I go away for one evening and what happens?" Sirius stopped tickling Harry as he noticed Remus leaning in the doorway, his stern look marred by the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. 

"It was his fault!" protested Sirius, standing up and helping Harry up. 

"How did you work that one out then?" demanded Harry, massaging his ribs and still chuckling. 

"You chucked a fork at me!" 

"You were making inappropriate comments at breakfast!" Remus laughed, and rolled his eyes. 

"That doesn't surprise me. You sure you still want to stay here?" 

"Of course!" Harry grinned at Sirius. "Even if he does randomly attack me while I'm trying to have my breakfast." 

"Hey! The attack was completely justified!" 

"Whatever. I'm going to have a shower and go to bed, last night was pretty tiring. See you guys later." 

"Wait! Were you with Tonks?" The only reply Sirius received was the door to the living room shutting. He shrugged and turned back to Harry. 

"Ready to see the village?" 

*

"This is so weird, Sirius. It feels like we're intruding or something. Know what I mean?" 

"Yeah, I know. You get used to it though." They were speaking in hushed voices as they browsed through the church. Harry was browsing through the last census sheets. 

"There's a Snape in here." 

"Really?" 

"Yeah, look. Mauritius Snape, born 1872." 

"Hm, wonder if it's any relation? Do they have any pictures?" 

"Doubt it. Wonder what he looked like?" 

"Tall, greasy hair, skinny, slimy . . ." 

"_OI! YOU! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING? GET OUT!" Harry and Sirius jumped and turned to see a ghost of a man with a bald head and a large, flat nose gliding towards them, brandishing a ghostly poker. _

"Good morning, Mr Carne!" Sirius grinned. "Lovely day, isn't it?" 

_"OUT! GET OUT! TRESPASSERS! THIEVES! ARSONISTS! OUT!" _

"Calm down, please, Mr Carne, I'm only showing my godson your lovely church." 

_"OUT!"_ Harry and Sirius dodged the poker and ran outside, the curate's swearing following them. They collapsed on the grass outside, and burst out laughing. 

"That's the curate. He's brilliant," grinned Sirius. "I'd like to introduce him to my mother one day; I think they'd get on." He stretched out on the grass and closed his eyes, exposing his belly to the sunshine. Harry grinned, too. Sirius' belly was flat, and brown, and just screaming to be tickled . . . 

"Mm, that's nice!" Sirius opened one eye and grinned. "Down a bit!" 

"Huh, how come you're not ticklish?" demanded Harry. Sirius shrugged. 

"I can be. You're just not doing it right. You have to do it like _this!" Sirius launched himself at Harry. Harry rolled onto his feet and sprinted off across the grass, Sirius following close behind. _

Harry hurdled a fallen wall, and glanced behind him – just as Sirius threw himself over the wall, catching Harry in a spectacular rugby-tackle that sent them both rolling down the slope towards the dried out pond, ending up with Harry trapped beneath Sirius. 

"What are you like?" laughed Harry, his breath catching in his throat as he looked up at Sirius. Sirius was gazing at him, transfixed, his breath coming in short gasps. Harry stared into Sirius' eyes, which were slightly glazed, and was uncomfortably aware that he was starting to get aroused. Before he knew what was happening, Sirius dipped his head and kissed him.     


	5. Advice over ice cream

*stares blankly at reviews* wow. my readership has doubled over the last few days! I'm amazed! Thank you all! mandie/snuffles, DeadAngel, wavey avey, Moongirl, SeraCeleste, Sofie, Sela, FrodoChick, Elanor Evans, Tara and taelonmahal, once again, thank you.  
  
I apologise for not updating sooner, but work's been hectic lately, and with the new football season just around the corner and the fact that I've just joined a drama group, my updates may not be as frequent as they could be. But I do have a week off coming up (joy!) so I promise to make it up to all of you ^_^  
  
*  
  
Sirius was surprised to find himself kissing Harry. He was even more surprised when Harry started kissing back. He could feel the heat coming off his godson's body and longed to rip off the clothes, to expose the tender skin beneath.  
  
"Ahem!" Sirius looked up. Tonks was walking down the hill, arms folded and grinning. Sirius scrambled up, suddenly embarrassed and acutely aware of his arousal. Harry rolled over and got to his knees. He realised that his glasses were fogged and smeared slightly and wiped them on his T-shirt, looking down at the ground and blushing furiously.  
  
"What do you want, Tonks?" demanded Sirius, slightly irritated by this interruption. "Remus is back at the house. Having a lie down. You can go and join him if you want."  
  
"Calm down, Sirius," giggled Tonks, staring pointedly at Sirius' groin area. "You'll be able to have some quality time with your godson later. I've come to take him to Diagon Alley to get his school things."  
  
"I could have taken him," muttered Sirius sullenly.  
  
"I'm sure you would have done, if I hadn't turned up." Tonks grinned mischievously. "How long has this been going on? And why wasn't I informed?"  
  
"Nothing's been going on," replied Sirius. "Which is why you weren't informed."  
  
"Didn't look like nothing to me." Harry stared at Tonks blankly while she bickered with Sirius. His breathing was starting to return to normal, and he felt slightly dazed by what had just happened. It was unexpected, it was sudden, it was so Sirius,, and it had felt so good . . .  
  
He jerked himself back to the present when he realised that Tonks was staring at him. He had no idea what she had just said.  
  
"Er, what?" Tonks snorted.  
  
"Just like your father. Mind only on one thing." She winked at him. "I was saying, if you're quite finished here, I'm going to take you to Diagon Alley."  
  
"Oh. All right." He turned to Sirius, who was still looking sulky, unsure of what to do. Should I kiss him goodbye? Or hug him? Or just wave . . . Sirius solved that particular problem by giving him a big bear hug and ruffling his hair so that it stuck up even more than usual.  
  
"See you later, sonner. I would come with, but Dumbledore reckons I'll be safer here." He grinned suddenly. "Think I'll go and pay old Carne another visit." Harry walked off with Tonks, occasionally glancing back towards his godfather. Sirius was gazing after them, grinning, and once they had reached the top of the hill he turned his back to them and walked back to the house.  
  
*  
  
"So, what exactly is going on between you and Sirius?" demanded Tonks a couple of hours later. They were sat outside Florean Fortescue's, enjoying large sundaes in the shade of a huge umbrella that occasionally fanned cool air towards them. Harry shrugged as he spooned ice cream into his mouth.  
  
"What's going on between you and Remus?" he countered. Tonks shrugged too.  
  
"Nothing. Well, not much anyway. He asked me out to dinner on Thursday night. I said I'd think about it."  
  
"Why? Sirius reckons he's crazy about you."  
  
"Keeps 'em keen if you show a bit of indifference. In my experience, once you show them you're keen they tend to go off you a bit. In fact, if you really want to get rid of a man, start talking about weddings and what to call your kids, stuff like that. The Big C. They'll be gone faster than you can say fizzing whizbee." Harry snorted into his ice cream as Tonks grinned.  
  
"You do realise that Sirius has already planned his outfit to your wedding?"  
  
"He's got a while to wait then. We haven't even kissed yet. I think he's a bit shy, to tell you the truth. It's taken me this long to get him to ask me out to dinner!"  
  
"Couldn't you have just asked him yourself?"  
  
"Of course not! It's more fun my way!" Her smile faded slightly as she gazed at Harry. "Be careful, all right?"  
  
"What do you mean?" he asked, confused. What did he have to be careful about? Of course Voldemort was after him, but apart from that, he was all right.  
  
"Just be careful. When it comes to love, you know. Sirius is a great guy and all - damn, if he was the slightest bit interested I'd've bagged him ages ago!" Her eyes twinkled again. "And you certainly seemed to be enjoying yourselves earlier, but I reckon you ought to think very carefully about going into a relationship with him. He's old enough to be your father, he's your godfather, he's still a convicted murderer - there's a million and one reasons why this isn't a good idea." She sighed at the mutinous look on Harry's face. "I'm not saying don't go for it. If you're determined, nothing can stop you. You're just like your father in that respect. And that could be the problem."  
  
"I'm not my dad. I know that. Sirius knows that," growled Harry, suddenly not fancying his ice cream and feeling furious.  
  
"I'm not sure that he does, sometimes." Harry glared at her. "All right, you're right. He does know that you're not your dad. I just can't help feeling a bit worried about you, all the same. Just be careful, okay? Don't lose your heart too fast." She laughed suddenly. "Oh, Merlin's beard! I'm turning into my mother! Right, Harry, forget everything I've just said, shag him senseless and tell me all the details in the morning!" Harry laughed too, his anger forgotten.  
  
"So you're still going to be around in the morning, are you?" he asked.  
  
"Might do. Might have to get Remus drunk later. I've heard werewolves are better lovers than Slytherins, and I want to test out the theory."  
  
"Who have you dated in Slytherin then?" demanded Harry. Tonks ignored him and stood up, gathering up half of Harry's bags.  
  
"We'd better be getting back, Sirius will probably be driving that poor old ghost mental by now."  
  
"Don't change the subject!" protested Harry, gathering up the rest of his bags and following her.  
  
"I'm not, I'm ignoring you, there's a subtle difference."  
  
"Right. I'll find out, you know."  
  
"Bet you half a Galleon you don't."  
  
"You're on." They made their way back to the deserted village, Harry thinking of ways of finding out Tonks' mystery Slytherin lover. He soon forgot all about it, though, when he saw Sirius waving at them from the branches of the huge pear tree in the yard of the church, covered in ectoplasm.  
  
"I don't think old Carne likes me," he remarked, climbing down and enveloping Harry in a hug. "This stuff's really difficult to get off, you know," he grinned, wiping his hands in Harry's hair. Harry rolled his eyes and pushed Sirius away.  
  
"Thanks, Sirius. Just what I always wanted. Slime covered clothes, very sexy!"  
  
"Glad you think so," smirked Sirius, kissing Harry's cheek, before taking his hand and pulling him back towards the house. "Come on, let's get back to the house. I'm sure Tonks is eager to get her hands into her wolfman!" Tonks made an obscene gesture behind Sirius' back, and followed them, laughing. 


	6. I love him

Hi! I'm sorry it took me so long to update, it's been hectic round here! Thanks to Moongirl, Facade1, Courtney, Tara6, DeadAngel, anna may, slytherinsela, mandie/snuffles, padfoot-dreamer, harrypotterfreak, sdfjksdfjklsdf, The Brat Prince and wavey avey. As I don't really wish to receive death threats, here's another chapter :) 

*

"Moony! Get out of the shower!" bellowed Sirius, banging on the bathroom door. "I'm covered in slime, I need to get clean!" Sirius growled in frustration as the only reply he got was a voice raised loudly in song. "_Moony!" _

Harry and Tonks giggled as Sirius started to use every swear word he could think of. 

"Bit volatile, isn't he?" remarked Tonks casually. Harry snorted. 

"Yeah, but then Remus does like to wind him up. It gets really quite loud in here sometimes." 

"I can imagine." Sirius came stomping down the stairs, muttering under his breath. 

"Tonks! Can't you house train him or something?" he demanded, flinging himself down next to Harry on the sofa. 

"You're getting slime all over the sofa," replied Tonks. Sirius shrugged, draping one arm around Harry's shoulders and pulling him in for a hug. 

"Sirius! This is disgusting!" muttered Harry, his voice muffled by Sirius' robes. "I really didn't want a face full of ectoplasm!" Sirius shrugged again, planting a kiss on the top of Harry's head. 

"I don't think you should tell Remus yet," stated Tonks. 

"Why not?" demanded Sirius. 

"I just think you two should just take the time to get used to being a couple first. I mean, this is pretty sudden. Not to mention just the slightest bit weird." She sighed as Harry and Sirius glared at her. "All right, just do what you want. I don't think everyone's going to take it as well as me, that's all." 

"Why should it matter?" said Harry angrily. "I love him!" 

"You do?" asked Sirius. Harry nodded, his throat suddenly dry. Sirius hugged him closer and kissed him tenderly. "Love you too." Tonks sighed again. 

"I just don't want you to get hurt. Either of you." 

"Tonks, believe me, the last thing I'd ever want to do is hurt Harry." She grinned at him. 

"I believe you. I should just be prepared for some unfavourable reactions, is all." 

"We can handle it," declared Sirius confidently. 

"Handle what?" asked Remus curiously, towelling his hair dry and looking curiously from Sirius to Harry. Tonks blushed crimson, her face clashing horribly with her hair, and looked away. 

"Moony, old friend, you shouldn't walk around the house wearing just a towel, there's ladies present. Well, Tonks is present anyway. Hey!" Sirius released Harry and rubbed his arm where Tonks had hit him, glaring at her in mock indignation. 

"What's going on here?" demanded Remus. "What have I missed?" Sirius just put his arms back around Harry and grinned. "I see. Can I have a word with you, Padfoot? In the kitchen?" Sirius nodded and followed Remus through into the kitchen. Harry and Tonks strained to hear what was going on, but they could hear nothing until something smashed and Sirius yelled "I _know_ Harry isn't James!" 

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" demanded Harry, slumping down and crossing his arms. 

"Sirius was rather fond of your father," said Tonks carefully. "From what I've heard about their school days, Sirius always wanted to be much more than friends with your father, and for a while everyone thought that would be the case. Then James fell for Lily, and Sirius took to going after anyone who appeared interested. I reckon if it hadn't been for your mother . . .  and, well, you do look just like James . . ." 

"Apart from my eyes, I have my mother's eyes," Harry quoted tonelessly. "I know. Everyone says so. But I'm not my dad, and if you think that Sirius sees me as a sort of substitute for him well, I think you're wrong! He loves me, he just said so!" 

"All the same, don't you think you'd be better off finding someone your own age? I've heard that Finnegan boy's interested. Or Malfoy, Malfoy's hot!" Harry shook his head. 

"I can't. I love him and . . . I don't know if I could ever love anyone else, you know? Voldemort's after me and I thought I just wouldn't get involved with anyone, that way he wouldn't be able to get to me through them, if you know what I mean. But I can't help feeling this way about Sirius. It scares me how much I do love him, sometimes, and I just can't imagine feeling like this about anyone else." Harry paused and an expression of disgust crossed his face. "Wait. Did you just say _Malfoy's_ hot?" 

"Well he is, they're a very attractive family. And they're loaded. Exactly the sort of person any young witch or wizard would go for." 

"But they're scumbags." 

"Well, yeah, there is that, I suppose. Hey, I'm only trying to help you, Harry!" Tonks dodged the cushion that Harry aimed at her, laughing. 

The kitchen door opened, and Sirius strode out. 

"I'm going to have a shower," he announced shortly, pausing only to plant a brief kiss on Harry's cheek. Remus followed, and sat himself down on the chair opposite Tonks. 

"I wish you luck, Harry," Remus said softly. "I'm sure you'll agree that Sirius is an amazing man, and he really does care about you a lot. Just be careful, okay?" 

"You're not the first person to tell me that today," laughed Harry. "Don't worry about me. I'll be alright." Remus shifted his position on the chair slightly and grinned. 

"I'm sure you will be. You always seem to manage somehow." Tonks squealed, her hands flying to her mouth in an effort to stem her giggles. 

"Er, Remus, shouldn't you be getting dressed?" asked Harry. 

"Nah, it's too hot for clothes," shrugged Remus. 

"No, Remus, I really think you should be getting some clothes on now. Or at least replace the towel . . ." 

"What?" Remus glanced down at the towel, which had slipped significantly. "Oh, _Merlin_," he muttered, flushing as crimson as Tonks. He hoisted the towel up and fled from the room, while Tonks and Harry exploded with laughter. 

"You're a lucky woman, Tonks!" Harry laughed, ducking as she threw back the cushion he'd launched at her earlier. 

"Oh, shut up! Don't you have owls to send or something?" 

"Not really." 

"Well, shouldn't you be finding out when your friends can get here then?" 

"Next Tuesday." 

"Oh, I give up!" Tonks sighed theatrically, throwing her hands up in the air. "You're just as annoying and stubborn as that godfather of yours! You're suited to each other!" 

"Don't worry, Tonks, I'm sure you'll get your wolfman soon. Hey!" Harry ducked as all the cushions in the room rose up and flew at him, and decided that now would be a good time to leave. 


	7. Friends, and an intrusion

Hi all! It's been a while since I updated and I apologise, I woke up one morning and discovered that I actually do have a life. And I got stuck. It's a pretty poor excuse, I know, so I've made this chapter a bit longer to make up for it. 

Thanks to my wonderful readers: Sami Potter, RonandHermy4ever, Inuyasha-lover601, padfoot-dreamer, MarsMoonStar, Edward Wong Hau, Sirius's Secret Lover, DeadAngel, Courtney, wavey avey, SassyMorg, angelm, lupine flower and Heather Grissom.  I now have over 50 reviews! Sweet! Thanks for your patience, guys. 

Interesting point raised: Tonks saying the Malfoys are hot when they're related. Well there's nothing wrong with _saying your relatives are hot, and as Tonks said she's only trying to help Harry out. Besides, cousins are legal, I think. Hope that clears that up ^_^ _

*

"Harry! Oh, it's so good to see you again!" Harry had barely got the door open before he was enveloped in a bone-crushing hug. He hugged Hermione back just as tightly before turning to Ron, grinning, and giving him an awkward one-armed hug. 

"Hey! Have a good summer?" he asked, standing back to let them in. 

"Ooh, yes, I finally got to go to Egypt, those old pyramids are so fascinating, did you know that . . ." 

"Oh, here we go again," muttered Ron. "We don't need a history lesson, Hermione, we've only just got in the door!" 

"Well maybe if you broadened your mind a little bit instead of just thinking about Quidditch, food or sex the whole time . . ." 

"I do not think about Quidditch or food or sex all the time! Yesterday I was thinking of that new broomstick Cleansweep are bringing out . . ." 

"Brooms are related to Quidditch, idiot!" Harry rolled his eyes and vaguely wondered whether his friends would ever stop bickering enough to admit that they liked each other. 

"If you're quite finished," he said loudly, "I'll give you the tour." He gave them a brief tour of the house and dumped their stuff in their rooms while they chatted briefly with Remus, then took them out into the village. 

"It's a bit gloomy, this," muttered Ron, gazing around uncertainly at the half-ruined buildings. 

"It's alright once you get used to it," protested Harry. "And it's safe, no-one can catch us here, even the Muggles have deserted it." 

"Ron's right though, Harry, this is creepy," murmured Hermione, gazing into an empty house. "What happened here? And what on earth was that?" She jumped at the loud crashing sound that had come from the church behind them; seconds later Sirius had crashed into Harry, out of breath and laughing, bearing them both to the ground. 

"Hide me!" Sirius gasped. "Old Carne's really got it in for me!" Harry laughed as he struggled out from under Sirius, stumbling as Sirius grabbed hold of his legs and tried to hide. Ron and Hermione ducked as the ghost swooped over their heads carrying something very large and heavy-looking. He zoomed off into the distance, shrieking oaths and curses, and Sirius scrambled up, still laughing. 

"Hey there Ron, Hermione!" he greeted, draping his arm casually round Harry's shoulders as he slowly got his breath back. Ron and Hermione grinned back. "Shall we have a look in the church while he's gone?" 

"Hey, look, there's a Snape in this book!" Ron exclaimed, picking up the electoral register. 

"Yeah we know, we found him a few days back," smirked Harry. "What have you found there, Hermione?" 

"It's a list of people who were sent to fight in the War. This place is so fascinating." 

"We'd best be moving on, guys," stated Sirius from the doorway. "The curate's back and he looks pissed off!" 

There was a beach near to the village, a little bay that was virtually comprised of the rock from cliff falls over the ages. As it was an overcast day, there were very few visitors. Sirius, Harry, Ron and Hermione amused themselves by skimming stones in the water, or looking for fossils amongst the rocks. 

Ron sat himself down underneath an overhang, having quickly gotten bored with looking for fossils with Hermione. He watched Harry and Sirius for a while – they were having a skimming competition down by the waters edge, and laughing. He had just made up his mind to go and join them when Sirius grabbed Harry and planted a kiss on his lips. His eyes narrowed and he nudged Hermione. 

"What's going on with them?" 

"What?" Hermione swung round to look at Harry and Sirius. "Oh! Well, I suppose it's not that unexpected . . ." 

"WHAT?" roared Ron, scrambling up. "It's bloody weird! I'm going to go and talk to them." 

"Oh, no, Ron, just leave them be!" Ron ignored Hermione and picked his way out towards the couple. 

Harry pushed Sirius away, laughing. 

"That's cheating!" he protested. "You can't plant a kiss on the victor just because you're losing and it might distract him!" 

"Why not? It's working, isn't it?" laughed Sirius. "Oh hey, Ron!" 

"What's going on here?" Ron demanded, his face flushing slightly. 

"What do you mean, what's going on? Isn't it obvious?" countered Sirius. Harry said nothing, just eyed his best friend apprehensively. Apparently, Ron's reaction to his and Sirius' relationship wasn't going to be favourable. 

"It's . . . it's _weird_, I mean I've got nothing against you, mate, but shouldn't you be looking for someone your own age? _Both_ of you?" Ron added, shooting a meaningful glance at Harry. 

"What does it matter, Ron?" demanded Harry. 

"He's so much older than you! He's your dad's best mate! It's a bit perverted, if you ask me." 

"I don't recall asking you anything," said Harry coldly. "What goes on between me and Sirius is our own business, all right? Oh, hello," he added, as Hermione made her way over. "Come to tell me that what I'm doing is wrong as well?" 

"No, I'm not actually, I came over to tell Ron to mind his own business. But I would like to talk to you, Harry, please?" She took his hand and led him away from Ron and Sirius, who were glaring at each other. 

"What do you want?" demanded Harry. "We've had all the its-so-wrong-he's-too-old-for-me-I'm-not-James stuff from Tonks and Lupin already and I'm not going through all that again!" 

"Will you just calm down? I'm not going to tell you anything of the sort but you must imagine it is a bit strange. Why Sirius? Why not, I don't know, Lee Jordan or someone?" Harry sighed and sat himself down on a rock, Hermione following suit. 

"Because Sirius is, well . . . _Sirius," he shrugged. "And I just feel so safe when I'm with him, I don't have to worry about Voldemort or anyone, it feels like nothing can touch us when we're together, you know? I can't imagine feeling that way about anyone else. I don't _want_ anyone else. And he makes me feel like the most special person in the world. It's . . . I don't know, kind of hard to explain." He shrugged again and scrabbled amongst the stones, finding a flat one and skimming it out to sea. _

"You're doing a good job of it." Hermione smiled at him and took his hand. "Why don't you try and explain all that to Ron? He's just worried about you, Harry. We all are." 

"I'll try, but you know Ron." 

"Yeah, I know Ron." Hermione rolled her eyes at Harry and he laughed. They stood up and headed back to Ron and Sirius, who were shouting at each other. 

"You're not the only one who cares for him! I don't want to see him get hurt, he's suffered enough!" 

"I'm not going to hurt him, Ron! I love him, can't you get over that?" 

"Sirius, mate, he's . . ." 

"If you mention James I will hurt you, I know he's not bloody James, hasn't it occurred to anybody that I like Harry because he's completely amazing, and not just because he's my best friend's son?" Harry looked at Hermione and rolled his eyes. 

"This could take a while," he muttered. 

They made their way back from the beach in virtual silence. Harry and Hermione tried to start several conversations, but they could not compete with the silence coming from the other two, who appeared determined to ignore each other for as long as possible. It was a relief to get back to the house, where weird noises were emanating from the kitchen.  

"Tonks! Watch out for that . . ." A crash, a yell and a sheepish voice mumbling an apology greeted them from the kitchen. The group laughed, the tension surrounding them easing slightly. Sirius strode to the kitchen door. 

"What on earth . . . oh, I do apologise!" Harry moved to the kitchen door to see Remus covered in cheese sauce, and Tonks on her knees in front of him trying to clean him up. Tonks scrambled up as she noticed the group around the door. 

"It's not what it looks like!" she protested, waving around a stained tea towel and flushing bright crimson. "We were making dinner, and I knocked the pan off the stove!" 

"Any excuse to feel up your wolfman, eh?" grinned Harry, receiving a face full of cheese-sauce-flavoured towel in reply. Remus pushed past the group, muttering something about getting changed, while Tonks set about trying to clear up the mess in the kitchen. Hermione went to help her, trying to stop herself from laughing. Harry caught Ron's eye, grinning, but caught sight of the black look that had almost immediately settled on his friend's face and sighed. 

"Can I have a word with you?" he asked, closing the kitchen door. Ron shrugged. 

"I'll, er, go and see if Moony needs a hand," muttered Sirius, disappearing out of the other door. Harry sat himself down on the sofa, while Ron perched awkwardly on the edge of the chair opposite. 

"What is your problem with me and Sirius?" demanded Harry as soon as the door was shut. 

"What? Harry, you've got to admit it's a bit perverted. He's your godfather!" 

"So what? He's an amazing man and I love him, Ron. Can't you understand that?" 

"But . . . how? Why? I _don't understand, Harry! Why can't you go for someone your own age?" _

"Because I don't want anyone my own age, I want him! He cares for me, he makes me feel special, he _loves me, and I love him. I can't love anyone else, I just . . . I can't." He fell silent and glanced over at Ron, who was now looking uncomfortable. "Voldemort's after me and half the time I'm so scared, I don't know what to do with myself. But whenever I'm with Sirius I feel safe, I feel like nothing else matters and it feels good to forget about everything else for a while, you know?" _

"Bloody hell, mate. Why didn't you tell me this before?" Harry shrugged. "Well I'm not saying that I approve, because if I'm completely honest I don't, I think it's weird. But hey, it's your life and I'm not going to judge you for it. Guess I should apologise to Sirius too." He grinned at Harry. "So what's going on with old Moony and Tonks?" 

Dinner that night was a very enjoyable affair. Tonks and Remus had to endure constant teasing from the others, and were trying to avoid each others eyes. Ron apologised to Sirius for his earlier outburst which Sirius graciously accepted, and Harry overheard them once or twice plotting a way of getting Tonks and Remus together. 

Remus left the table early, saying that he needed an early night as he had a meeting with Dumbledore the next day, and was shortly followed by Tonks. Sirius disappeared after Tonks, eager to see if she was sneaking up to Remus' room, but came back disappointed. 

Later, Harry lay awake listening to Ron's muffled snores from the next room, and thinking about Sirius. He had been a little angry at Ron's reaction to their relationship but, on reflection, it was only to be expected. It _was_ weird, but it was so good at the same time. 

There door opened slightly, and Sirius stuck his head through. 

"You awake?" he whispered. 

"Yeah," replied Harry, sitting up and smiling. Sirius shut the door and moved over to the bed. 

"I can't sleep," he admitted. "Been having dreams." He yawned and rubbed at his temples. 

"What sort of dreams?" asked Harry, feeling a sudden jolt of fear. 

"Nothing much, the usual I'm back in Azkaban affair." Sirius fell silent and glared at the sheets. Not sure of what to do, Harry placed his hands on his godfather's shoulders and started kneading away at the knots of tension that had formed. Sirius grunted and closed his eyes. 

"That's good," he mumbled. Harry grinned and let his hands move lower down the older man's back. Sirius squirmed under his touch. "That's really good!" Sirius turned to face his godson, smiling, and brought their lips together. 

Later, Harry lay in Sirius' arms, idly tracing a pattern on the older man's stomach and listening to his deep, even breathing. He couldn't find words for what had just happened. Sirius was just too incredible for words . . . Harry smiled and closed his eyes, preparing to drift off to sleep. 

Suddenly his scar seared with pain. Harry yelled out and sat up, rubbing his scar. The searing pain passed, leaving just a dull, throbbing pain. 

"Whas'matter?" mumbled Sirius sleepily, placing a hand on Harry's shoulder. 

"Nothing. Scar hurt," mumbled Harry, settling back down into Sirius' embrace and trying to shake off a feeling of joy that was not his own. 

A thousand miles away, a cold, high-pitched laugh rang out into the night. 


	8. Inappropriate comments at breakfast II

Again, I apologise for the wait in updating. Writers block can be an evil, evil thing. 

Thank you to: wavey avey, MarsMoonStar, Inuyasha-lover601, shiroiryu144, padfoot-dreamer, Moongirl, sa-chan5, Courtney, DeadAngel, Sirius' Secret Lover, Suga hi and Acacia Jules. 

Don't worry, I'll still be continuing with this fic, I just ask you to be patient while my brain tries to sort out the plot. I know exactly where I want it to go, but getting there's proving to be more difficult than I thought. Stupid brain. 

*

Harry woke up the next morning to find his arm tingling. The reason for this was because Sirius had it trapped underneath his body, and was showing no signs of moving for a while. Harry carefully eased his arm out from under Sirius' body, trying not to wake the older man, muttering oaths under his breath. He located his bathrobe and made his way to the bathroom. 

"Morning, Harry!" Ron yawned at him from the opposite door. 

"Morning," Harry muttered back, rubbing his eyes. 

"If you want the bathroom you're in for a bit of a wait, mate. I've been sat out here for ages waiting for Hermione to finish." Harry nodded and sat himself on the floor next to Ron. They sat in companionable silence and listened to the sound of rushing water from the bathroom. 

The door to Lupin's room opened and an extremely tousle-haired Tonks stumbled out, stopping short when she noticed the two boys on the floor. 

"Oh! I didn't think anyone would be awake . . ." she exclaimed, her hand flying to her mouth. Harry grinned at her. 

"When did you sneak back in? Sirius said he saw you leave." 

"I, er, forgot my wand . . ." Ron sniggered. Tonks glared at him. "I don't see that it's any of your business anyway, I'm a grown woman and what I do in my own time is up to me . . ." 

"So are werewolves better than Slytherins then?" asked Harry. Ron bellowed with laughter. 

"Who have you had in Slytherin then?" Ron demanded.  

"None of your business, young man!" 

"What's going on here?" Sirius stumbled out of Harry's room, idly scratching the back of his head. His face split into a grin as he noticed Tonks. "Oh, hello. Finally got your claws into your wolfman then? So what was he like?" 

"I don't have to take this abuse! I'm going down to get some breakfast." 

"Good idea. I'll help." Sirius took Tonks' arm and led her downstairs. Harry turned to face Ron, still laughing, but the laughter died in his throat as he caught sight of the odd look on Ron's face. 

"You, er, spent the night together, did you?" asked Ron in a forcibly casual voice. 

"Yeah, we did." 

"Right."  Harry sighed at his friend's tone of voice. 

"What do you mean, 'right'?" 

"I didn't mean anything," Ron protested, staring at his fingernails. 

"We are allowed to, you know." 

"I know. I didn't say anything." 

"Look, I know you don't agree with our relationship but you've got to accept the fact that I love him." 

"I know, mate, I know. It's just a bit weird, you know. I mean, you really liked Cho, and then suddenly I find you're with Sirius." 

"Of course it's weird, since when have I ever done anything normal?" Harry grinned at Ron and stood up as Hermione came out of the bathroom. "Bathroom's free. All right, Hermione?" 

"What's happened here?" Hermione demanded, gazing from Harry to Ron. 

"Nothing," muttered Ron, grabbing a towel and darting into the bathroom. Hermione turned to Harry and raised her eyebrows. 

"He's just a bit surprised that me and Sirius spent the night together." 

"What, already? That's a bit sudden, isn't it?" Harry shrugged. "Well, what was it like?" 

"Amazing," grinned Harry. They made their way down to the kitchen. Tonks was sat at the kitchen table holding her face in her hands and Sirius was leaning back in his chair looking smug. 

"Tonks! What are you doing here?" demanded Hermione. 

"Don't you start!" moaned Tonks. "I've already had the third degree from that damned nosey cousin of mine!" 

"She snuck back here last night while we were all in bed tried to sneak off undetected this morning," explained Sirius, grinning. 

"Hermione, you're a sensible person, can I talk to you in the other room?" asked Tonks, ushering Hermione out in front of her and whacking Sirius on the back of the head as she passed. 

"Oi! What have I done to deserve that? I'm only looking out for you!" Sirius laughed as Tonks made an obscene gesture in his direction before closing the door. "All right, Harry?" 

"Yeah." Harry allowed himself to be pulled down onto Sirius' lap. 

"Liar. What's up?" 

"Ron's still being a bit funny about, you know. You and me." 

"Ah, give him time, he'll come round." Sirius ruffled Harry's hair and rested his chin on the top of Harry's head. "All he needs to do is shag Hermione Granger, that'll calm him down a bit." 

"_Excuse me?_" demanded Hermione, reappearing with Tonks, who looked a lot less flustered now and calmly helped herself to some toast. "I have no desire to shag _anybody right now, thank you very much!" _

"Ah come off it, Hermione. You're hot for Weasley and you know it." 

"I am not! Harry, can't you shut him up somehow?" 

"I'm sure he could but it's not an act we generally perform in public." 

"And even that's not guaranteed to shut him up in any case." 

"_Too much information!_" protested Tonks, clamping her hands firmly over her ears. 

"And unless I'm much mistaken not too long ago Harry threw a fork at Sirius for making inappropriate comments at breakfast," commented Remus lightly, wandering into the room and throwing a cloak around his shoulders. He and Tonks grinned at each other and blushed. 

"Moony! Nice to see you up at last, although from what I gather you were up for most of the night." 

"I wasn't the only one, obviously." Remus grabbed himself a stack of toast from the pile on the table. "I have to shoot off, I'm late as it is. I'll be back around lunchtime, all right? See you." Tonks followed him out and returned moments later with her grin threatening to slice her head in half. 

"So you two are definitely an item then?" asked Harry. 

"Yep!" Tonks popped a piece of toast in her mouth and beamed at the room. 

"Well come on, give us the details! Was he better than your Slytherin lover?" 

"I'll give you my details if you give me yours," countered Tonks with a wink, popping another piece of toast in her mouth. 

*

All too soon it was time to go back to Hogwarts. Harry and Sirius clung to each other at the door while Tonks impatiently honked the horn of the car she had acquired for the drive to London – Sirius having been warned against accompanying Harry to Platform Nine and Three Quarters by Dumbledore. Whatever Dumbledore had said to him had obviously scared him enough to stay put at the village, but he was compensating for that by taking his time over saying goodbye. 

"You take care of yourself, you hear?" whispered Sirius, stroking Harry's cheek lightly. 

"And you," Harry managed to force out between the lump that had formed in his throat. He swallowed painfully. 

"Hey don't be like that. The weeks will fly by and it'll be Christmas before you know it. In fact," Sirius added, putting on a mock-injured expression, "you'll probably be having so much fun with Quidditch and similar that you'll forget all about me." 

"I'll never forget about you," declared Harry. "Okay, so maybe I might be concentrating on Quidditch especially when we play Slytherin a bit more, but I promise to give you at least five minutes thought each day." 

"Five minutes? Is that all I warrant?" demanded Sirius, pouting. Harry laughed. 

"Of course. Have you forgotten what an all-consuming event the Gryffindor versus Slytherin match is?" 

"Harold James Potter! Will you please say your sodding goodbyes, we're going to miss the train!" yelled Tonks, honking the car horn so hard she almost broke it. Harry laughed and kissed Sirius. 

"I'm going to miss you," he mumbled into Sirius' shoulder. 

"I know. I'm going to miss you too," muttered Sirius. "But we'd best get you off, or Tonks is going to murder us!" He kissed Harry one more time and ushered him into the car. "I'll see you soon, love." 

"'Bye." 

"At last! Damn hormonal teenagers, and Sirius is just as bad," muttered Tonks, putting the car into gear and driving off. Harry twisted in his seat and watched Sirius until the house disappeared from view, and sighed as he slumped back down. 

It was going to be a long wait 'til Christmas. 


	9. Back to school

It seems that yet again I have to apologise for the lack of speed in updating. I'm going through a bit of a creative block at the moment, it's a real pain in the backside but what can you do eh? 

Thanks to MarsMoonStar, Moongirl, sa-chan5, Dead Angel, Suga hi, Firesword, lupine flower, padfoot-dreamer, wavey avey, Marie, blah, A.L. Lorraine, Edward Wong Hau, Re-writing Destiny, aurons-girl-18 and Vicious Lily. (if I've forgotten anyone, I'm sorry, I love you too!) 

Onwards! I think I have to get myself a new muse . . . Anyone know of any that are going cheap? 

*

Harry smiled contentedly as he gazed around the Great Hall. The last few weeks had undoubtedly been the best of his life, but there was still nothing like the feeling of returning to the place where you belong. The welcome feast was well under way and Harry grinned at Seamus and Dean who were sat opposite, and making lewd comments about Ginny Weasley that were causing Ron to choke on his mashed potato. 

"Don't talk about my sister like that!" Ron bellowed, spraying bits of food across the table. 

"Grow up, Ron!" laughed Ginny, as Ron started looking thoughtfully at the cutlery and Seamus' head. Ron swelled visibly in a way highly reminiscent of Mrs Weasley about to explode. 

"I'm only trying to look out for you, Gin." 

"I can look out for myself. You can't keep harassing every boy who even so much as looks in my direction." 

"He'd have to hassle half the school," said Seamus in a loud whisper. He swore as a goblet sailed across the table and landed in his stew, slopping half of it down his robes. "Hey watch it, I can't help it if your sister's hot!" 

"Ah, don't mind him," said Hermione with a wink. "He's just jealous because he's never had a girlfriend." 

"I am not! I just don't see the point in going for the first person that shows an interest. How's _Vicky_ by the way?" 

"Half a Galleon they'll be together by Christmas," whispered Dean to Harry, as Hermione and Ron launched into another slanging match. 

"Nah, first Hogsmeade weekend, I'll bet," said Seamus, as he finished cleaning the front of his robes. He looked up and flashed Harry a grin. "So how about yourself? Got your eye on anyone?" 

"Erm, no, not at the moment," mumbled Harry, going red and bending low over his steak and kidney pie, his stomach squirming. _Damn them, he thought, __I can't tell them about Sirius, why couldn't they have waited until I'd thought up a convincing lie?_

"What's this? The Boy Who Lived has no time for girls? 'Sorry, darling, love to stay but I have to go and save the world'? Why don't I believe that?" 

"Nah, he's probably got some stunningly gorgeous Muggle girl hidden back home who thinks he's a spy for the Albanian government or something," laughed Dean. "'Oh, Harry, my love, must you go?' 'I must, my treasure, who knows what the pesky Germans are plotting?' 'Harry, be careful! I'm always so afraid when you go away that I'll never see you again!' 'I'll be back at Christmas, my love. Until then!'" The table roared with laughter as Dean finished his spiel, save Ron who was looking at him incredulously, with one eyebrow raised. 

"You watch too many Muggle movies, mate," he said, shaking his head. "Bloody mental, the pair of you." 

Later, as the feast ended, a commotion broke out on the Hufflepuff table. Harry, looking over, saw two girls apparently fighting over a boy. Professor Sprout hurried over to break up the scuffle and the boy – a seventh-year with long, dark curly hair and close-fitting black robes – caught Harry's gaze and rolled his eyes, smirking in the direction of one of the girls, who was sobbing hysterically and having to be led out of the Hall. 

"Who's that?" he asked, nudging Hermione and gesturing in the direction of the boy. He couldn't remember having seen him before. 

"You mean you don't know Davey Buxton?" squeaked Lavender Brown. "Oh, he's _so_ famous, I don't suppose you've heard having to live with the Muggles and all, but he's a _rock star_! He's in this band, The Pure, they had a Number One song in the holidays and it stayed at the top of the chart _all summer!_" She sighed as she looked over towards the Hufflepuff table. 

"I didn't think he'd be back this year ever since he joined the band but he's _so_ committed to his studies, you know," added Parvati Patil. "He's divine!" 

"He's an idiot," snorted Hermione. Lavender and Parvati glared at her. "Well he is. Half his songs are about the importance of blood, and the other half are about getting drunk and beating up Muggles. It's pathetic really." 

"It's not the content of his songs that are important, Hermione," sighed Lavender exasperatedly. "He's gorgeous! And anyway he explained it all in an interview with Teen Witch magazine, something about going against the generic trash put out by old-fashioned and out of touch singers like Celestina Warbeck and wanting to shock the mainstream and all that." 

"Like I said, he's an idiot," repeated Hermione. She, Harry and Ron joined Dean and Seamus as they joined the throng streaming out of the Hall. Harry felt someone tap him on the shoulder and spun round to see Davey Buxton smirking at him. 

"Hey there, Harry." 

"Hi," mumbled Harry, not knowing what to say; it wasn't as if they'd ever talked before. 

"I'd just like to say I'm sorry you all had to witness that just now, but you know how it is with fame and all that, girls throwing themselves at you all the time. How _do_ you cope with it? If you have any tips I'd be very grateful." He flashed Harry a smile as brief as lightning and strode away, leaving Harry gawking in his wake. 

"I think you're right, Hermione, he _is an idiot," he said at last. The crossed the Entrance Hall and had just started up the staircase when Harry heard a shout from below. _

"Well look who it is! It's the Dog-botherer!" Harry groaned as Draco Malfoy's voice floated up to him, then froze as he registered what Malfoy had said. _Dog-botherer? Does he know? How could he know? _He turned and faced Malfoy, who was smirking up at him with Crabbe and Goyle, as usual, chuckling stupidly in the background. 

"Oh, it's you." Harry turned to go but stopped dead when Seamus asked, "Why did you just call him Dog-botherer?" 

"My Aunt Marge came to stay over the holidays," said Harry quickly, inventing madly. "Her dog, Ripper, doesn't like me and chased me halfway down the street. Although I would like to know how Malfoy knows so much about my private life." He didn't like the calculating, knowing look that Malfoy was giving him at all. _How much does he know?_

"Who doesn't?" said Malfoy cryptically. He turned and gestured to Crabbe and Goyle and they strode away, chuckling quietly to themselves. Seamus and Dean shrugged and went on ahead, but Harry felt as though his legs had turned to lead. 

"What was all that about?" demanded Ron scornfully. "Don't know what he's talking about half the time. I swear if he tries any funny business this year . . . You all right, Harry?" 

"He knows, Ron!" hissed Harry urgently. 

"Knows what?" 

"I think he knows about me and Sirius!"


	10. What does he know?

I am so sorry for not updating things sooner. I've had rather a stressful private life of late and I've had virtually no time to myself, let alone write. Coupled with the fact that my writers block still refuses to leave, dammit, it's been quite a wait and I can't apologise enough. Hopefully things should be back to normal soon. Sorry this is such a short chapter. 

Thanks to my wonderful reviewers – MarsMoonStar; Inuyasha-lover601; Firesword, Re-writing Destiny; lupine flower; KatFay; Vicious Lily; padfoot-dreamer; Wonkywerewolf2; pixyfairy120; DeadAngel; A Typical Snarry Fan; Marilyn, My Bitterness; Enemy of The Lone One; anonymous; Debs; FlowOfBlackRoses and nightshadow1. Thank you so much for your encouragement and your patience. 

And on another note,  reviews have now passed the 100 mark! I had no idea this little fic would be so popular so, once again, a great big THANK YOU! 

And you lot, send your thanks to my friend Cory who was a MASSIVE help in getting this chapter started. Without her, there would be no part 10, and I am immensely grateful. Cory, you rock.  

*

"Don't be silly," said Hermione at once. "How on earth could he possibly know? You're just being paranoid." 

"I don't think so," said Harry slowly. "That night we slept together, my scar started hurting." 

"There could be any number of explanations for that. It's not the first time your scar's hurt, is it?" 

"Well, no, but it's strange, isn't it, that my scar should hurt that particular night, and now Malfoy calling me that. . ." Harry broke off and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. 

"Well if he starts spreading anything you can deny it, can't you? I mean, it won't be the first time he's made stuff up about you," reasoned Ron, leading the way back up the stairs. 

"Ron's right. Just ignore it, Harry. For all we know he only means that you're in contact with Snuffles, which in itself would be enough to get the Aurors on our backs. We'll deal with Malfoy if we need to, but we've got plenty of other things to worry about this year." Hermione started off after Ron. Harry climbed after them slowly, lost in thought. He was slightly perturbed that they weren't more shocked about the news about his scar hurting, but then it was more a less a common occurrence now. _They'd probably be more surprised if I told them my scar_ didn't _hurt_, he thought morosely, and almost collided with someone coming the other way. He blinked, and looked up into Albus Dumbledore's kindly face. 

"Ah there you are, Harry. I've been looking for you. Would you follow me, please?" Dumbledore asked softly. Harry nodded, told Ron and Hermione that he would meet them in the common room later, and set off after the Headmaster.

Harry seated himself opposite Dumbledore, who fixed him with a piercing stare. Harry fidgeted under his gaze and knew that Dumbledore knew. 

"Harry" Dumbledore began, "I want you to know that what is going on between you and Sirius is your own business." Harry's gaze flicked to Dumbledore from where he had been examining the carpet. "Although I don't approve of it, I hardly doubt you would listen to me if I told you not to."

"But I . . ." Harry began, but was cut off by Dumbledore. 

"Love him. Yes I know, and I do not doubt it, but please, Harry, be . . ." This time Dumbledore was cut off.

"Careful. Yes, I know" Harry grumbled, staring moodily at the carpet. "I've already had it from Tonks, Lupin and Hermione." 

"I am sure I don't need to remind you of the importance of secrecy," Dumbledore continued as if he hadn't heard. "If the world found out, there would be an uproar. I would advise you to at least feign an interest in someone. You know what this school is like for gossip and rumour." 

"Yeah, I know." Harry smiled grimly. "Professor, I . . ." Harry trailed off, unsure of how to broach the subject of Malfoy's cryptic insult from earlier. 

"What is it, Harry?" 

"I think Malfoy knows," Harry mumbled. Dumbledore leaned back in his chair and surveyed Harry over steepled fingers. 

"What makes you say that?" 

"He called me Dog-botherer earlier. And my scar hurt over the summer while I was with Sirius, and, well, you know Malfoy's dad is a Death Eater. . ." He trailed off again and shrugged. 

"I am reliably informed that Voldemort knows nothing about your relationship with Sirius. If he does, which cannot be discounted, by the way, he hasn't mentioned it to his followers. It is likely that Mr Malfoy was merely teasing you – he knows, after all, that Sirius is your godfather. Is that all?" Harry nodded. "You may go. I will just say this once more – be careful! Not everyone is to be trusted. Be wary of who you confide in this year." 

Harry thanked Dumbledore and headed back to the Gryffindor common room, his worries eased considerably by his conversation with the Headmaster. He settled himself into an armchair by the fire in between Hermione and Ron, who were playing chess, and told them what Dumbledore had said. 

"I told you it was nothing to worry about," said Hermione breezily. She muttered an oath under her breath as she realised that Ron had beaten her again. She stood up and yawned. "I'm going up to bed. See you in the morning." 

"Yeah, I'm going up too. Coming, mate?" Harry followed Ron up to the dormitory, also yawning. He did feel assured by Dumbledore's statement that Malfoy couldn't possibly know about him and Sirius, but he still didn't like the look Malfoy had given him. 

_Still_, he reasoned, as he clambered into bed, _Malfoy's just being a git, as usual._ _He doesn't know anything. He knows nothing.  _The words echoed around his head as he closed his eyes, and he fell into a dreamless sleep. 


End file.
